'Net Features : brick and mortarhttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/tags/brick+and+mortar/default.aspxTags: brick and mortarenCommunityServer 2008 SP2 (Build: 31104.93)Fight Showrooming with TouchStorehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/08/06/fight-showrooming-with-touchstore.aspxWed, 06 Aug 2014 17:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:35946Allison Howen0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=35946http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/08/06/fight-showrooming-with-touchstore.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>It is not uncommon for customers to leverage their mobile devices while shopping in-stores. In doing so, they are often comparing prices online, looking for reviews or conducting more research about the item they are considering purchasing.</strong></p>
<p>Instead of fearing that these consumers are showrooming (visiting a store to see a product before buying it online at a lower price), brick-and-mortar merchants can now enhance the omni-channel experience of their in-store shoppers by leveraging TouchCommerce&rsquo;s new <a href="http://www.touchcommerce.com/our-solutions/touchstore" target="_blank">TouchStore solution</a>, which enables retailers and enterprises with retail locations to provide online assistance through mobile devices.</p>
<p>&ldquo;TouchStore offers shoppers an instant gratification with personalized online assistance for both sales and care needs,&rdquo; says George Skaff, CMO of TouchCommerce.</p>
<p>For example, merchants can leverage TouchStore to display QR codes or signage that directs in-store shoppers to send a text message to a certain number. By scanning the QR code or sending the text, the shopper will open the TouchCommerce online engagement window on their smartphone. In the background, the TouchCommerce technology and RightTouch platform use product information, prior browsing behavior and a web-based customer interface to target the shopper with specific content or automatically route them to a live chat expert. Plus, the shoppers&rsquo; prior browsing behavior is also sent to the agent at the start of the chat session. In addition to answering questions, the chat agent can provide content to the shopper like videos, coupons, guides and surveys.</p>
<p>The TouchStore technology offers benefits to shoppers and retailers alike. Shoppers, for instance, are able to obtain personalized support and use their mobile device to self-serve themselves throughout the decision making process. On the other hand, retailers can increase conversions and customer satisfaction, while also reducing support costs. Plus, TouchStore allows retailers to sell products that may be out of stock in-stores but available online, as the chat representative can provide shoppers with this type of insight and direct them to the right product page.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To succeed with a mobile-focused, omni-channel approach, retail organizations must align to the customer&rsquo;s desired shopping process by proactively triggering personalized self-service, live web chat, or calling options in the omni-channel environment,&ldquo; says Bernard Louvat, president and CEO of TouchCommerce. &ldquo;TouchStore caters to these trends in shopper behavior and offers a solution for brands with retail locations to convert in-store browsers into real buyers.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/Touchstore.png" width="630" height="396" alt="" /></p>
<hr />
<h4><img style="float:left;" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/subarrow.png" width="20" height="20" alt="" />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/subscribe/default.aspx?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_campaign=WMcontent">SUBSCRIBE FREE to Website Magazine - 12 Issues&nbsp;</a></h4>
<hr /><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=35946" width="1" height="1">brick and mortarwm-ecommerceshowroomingomni-channel retailin-store shoppingBaM Still Critical to Consumershttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/21/bam-still-critical-to-consumers.aspxMon, 21 Oct 2013 18:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:28164Pete Prestipino0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=28164http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/10/21/bam-still-critical-to-consumers.aspx#comments<p><strong>The Internet provides consumers with a great deal in the way of convenience, but there still seems to be a place for traditional brick-and-mortar.</strong>
<br /><br />
A new report from management consulting firm A.T. Jearney reveals that consumers in the U.S. and U.K. value the retail store experience (and on multiple levels) and continue to make the vast majority of their purchases in store.
<br /><br />
&ldquo;Stores are important to consumers, but it is critical that retailers with brick-and-mortar assets understand the new role the store network plays in optimizing sales, profits, and loyalty across all channels,&quot; said Michael Brown, A.T. Kearney partner and author of the &quot;Recasting the Retail Store in Today&#39;s Omnichannel World&quot; noted in the study.
<br /><br />
&quot;Despite the dramatic shifts in consumer shopping behaviors enabled by e-commerce and mobile, very few retailers have transformed the physical shopping experience to efficiently and effectively support the new behaviors. Retailers must know how and why their customers shop and then retool and redeploy the store network accordingly.&rdquo;
<br /><br />
The A.T. Kearney study found that consumers spend the majority of their time shopping in stores (61 percent), followed by online (31 percent), catalog (4 percent) and mobile (4 percent). The physical store is the channel of choice across all ages (from Millennial to senior citizens) and household income levels (from less than $25,000 per year to more than $100,000 per year) however.
<br /><br />
The study found that 40 percent of consumers spend more money than they had planned in stores, while only 25 percent reported online impulse shopping. Strategies that drive consumers to stores whether it is to shop or pick up a product purchased online will drive impulse purchases.
</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=28164" width="1" height="1">brick and mortarwm-ecommerceat kearneyTurning Your Physical Store into an Online Store http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/08/26/turning-your-physical-store-into-an-online-store.aspxMon, 26 Aug 2013 16:15:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:27065Administrator1http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=27065http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/08/26/turning-your-physical-store-into-an-online-store.aspx#comments<p>:: By Arash Amini, <a href="http://www.aminis.com/" target="_blank">Amini&#39;s Galleria</a> ::
</p>
<hr />
<p>As the longtime owner of a thriving brick-and-mortar store, I resisted the online retail game for years. At first, e-commerce seemed like a niche market that didn&#39;t really demand my attention, but as more and more businesses began to move online, I could no longer ignore the writing on the wall. Online retail isn&#39;t some fad for tech-savvy agoraphobics; it is the new wave of consumerism, and those business owners who are still dragging their heels are missing out on tremendous profit potential. I only wish I had come to this important realization much sooner. </p>
<h3>Taking the plunge </h3>
<p>Not long ago, I stumbled upon a very revealing Nielsen Global consumer report. It found that an astonishing 83 percent of Americans shop online, and that Americans spent $186 billion in online sales, just in 2010. That number continues to rise. As I see so many traditional businesses lament their declining sales, I just want to tell them, &ldquo;Your customers haven&#39;t left you. They have just changed their shopping habits.&rdquo; </p>
<p>Even as I began to see potential in online sales, I resisted it on the grounds that my products aren&#39;t exactly mailbox-friendly. I run Amini&#39;s Galleria, which specializes in such big ticket items as arcade games, high-end furniture, luxurious rugs, pool tables and home theater equipment. I once assumed that nobody would purchase such sizable inventory over the Internet. Boy was I wrong. Since I started Game Room Champ, the e-commerce division of Amini&#39;s, I have seen online sales for gaming equipment exceed our in-store sales. </p>
<p>So once I realized that I needed to take my business online, the next big question was, how do I actually do this? The Internet doesn&#39;t play by the same rules. You have a world of competition, and a laundry list full of unique variables to consider. </p>
<h3>Setting up your website </h3>
<p>Fortunately, technology makes it possible for even the least Web-inclined neophyte to successfully run an online store. Companies like BigCommerce, Magento and Shopify make it easy to build a website, set up project pages and manage inventory, without any necessary knowledge of online coding or development. For a small monthly fee, you can choose a custom design, organize all of your pages, accept credit card transactions and manage your shipping. It really is a lifesaver, because even if you hire custom developers, you still need to be able to make basic changes on the fly and keep track of all of your transactions. </p>
<h3>Getting noticed online </h3>
<p>I quickly learned that actually having a website isn&#39;t enough. In fact, that was just step 1. The bigger question is, how can people actually find me? When I realized that most online shoppers use search engines to find what they need, I had to do a bit of research to determine how I could achieve the best search engine placement. Fortunately I was able to hire an excellent search engine optimization (SEO) company, but I realize that not all small businesses can afford these services. Luckily, the Web has some great resources like Moz and Google Webmaster Tools, which are filled with useful information for making an impression in those all-important search engines. </p>
<h3>Other challenges</h3>
<p>If you take your business online, make sure to emphasize stellar customer service. I learned very quickly that online shoppers are very well-versed in Internet culture, and if they aren&#39;t satisfied with the product that they receive or the amount of time in which they receive it, they will quickly take to the review sites and potentially tarnish your reputation. Answer all emails promptly and politely, remember to delicately ship all items as quickly as possible, and if a customer does complain, address the issue at once. It can make all the difference in the world.
</p>
<p>Like me, you may benefit from hiring some Web developers and SEO experts, but it all depends on how comfortable you are managing your online presence, how much inventory you have to keep track of, and how much money you can afford to invest. </p>
<p>We can go back and forth all day about the details of how to best manage an e-commerce shop, but if there is one thing that I would urge you to take away from all of this, it would be to just do it! If you haven&#39;t yet made the jump from local shop to online enterprise, now is the time. You&#39;re missing out on tremendous potential as we speak, and your competition is reaping the rewards. So fire up that dusty laptop and start making some sales. </p>
<hr />
<p>Arash Amini is the CEO and Founder of the family owned and operated <a href="http://www.aminis.com/" target="_blank">Amini&#39;s Galleria</a>. With five stores in St. Louis, Overland Park, Kansas City, Tusla, Oklahoma City and the online shop <a href="http://www.gameroomchamp.com/" target="_blank">Game Room Champ</a>, he is an expert in expanding a small business to a national scale. </p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=27065" width="1" height="1">E-Commercee-commerce growthbrick and mortarwmfeatureAmini's GalleriaThe Retailer with the Highest Showrooming Risk Is…http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/03/04/the-retailer-with-the-highest-showrooming-risk-is.aspxMon, 04 Mar 2013 18:55:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:23582Allison Howen1http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=23582http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/03/04/the-retailer-with-the-highest-showrooming-risk-is.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><strong>The momentum of mobile has made showrooming a growing threat to brick-and-mortar retailers. A new study, however, reveals that some retailers are at higher risk than others.</strong></p>
<p>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.placed.com/resources/white-papers/aisle-to-amazon">Aisle to Amazon</a> study from location analytics company <a target="_blank" href="http://www.placed.com/">Placed</a> unsurprisingly identified Best Buy and Target as high-risk retailers when it comes to consumers viewing products offline and then making purchases online. That being said, Best Buy and Target are actually not the most at risk when it comes to showrooming. In fact, Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, PetSmart and Toys &lsquo;R&rsquo; Us all face greater risk, with Amazon shoppers being 27 percent more likely to visit Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, 25 percent more likely to visit PetSmart and 21 percent more likely to visit Toys &lsquo;R&rsquo; Us before making a purchase online.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Amazon was the clear winner in e-commerce 1.0, and unless brick-and-mortar retailers shift from reactive to proactive, Amazon will win e-commerce 2.0 on the backs of offline retailers,&rdquo; said David Shim, Founder and CEO at Placed. &quot;All the attention to date has been on Target and Best Buy as the early victims of showrooming, but significantly more retailers are at risk. Retailers need to know that it&rsquo;s not a question of if or when showrooming will impact their business, as an aisle to Amazon is already in their store.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img height="460" width="597" src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/placedshowrooming.jpg" style="vertical-align:middle;margin:5px;" alt="" /></p>
<p>In an attempt to combat showrooming, both Best Buy and Target recently announced Amazon price-matching policies, but this isn&rsquo;t the only way that brick-and-mortar retailers can combat Amazon shoppers. Other strategies include:</p>
<p><strong>1. Selling exclusive products &ndash; </strong>retailers can take Amazon out of the equation by selling customizable products or products that are exclusive to their brand or a brick-and-mortar location.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>2. Integrating online features offline &ndash;</strong> If consumers are already shopping in-stores with their mobile phones, why not make the process easier? One way merchants can do this is by posting QR codes next to items that will take consumers to product reviews when scanned. Moreover, merchants can launch location-based promotions on platforms like Foursquare, such as a coupon for 25 percent off an in-store purchase when someone checks-in. This allows consumers to participate with mobile, while also giving them an incentive to make an immediate purchase.</p>
<p><strong>3. Maintaining great service &ndash; </strong>One of the biggest advantages brick-and-mortar merchants have over online retailers is their ability to provide excellent service to any customer that walks through the door. This is why merchants should make sure that every member on their staff has a good attitude and is educated about the products and services that are being sold.</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=23582" width="1" height="1">ecommercemobileamazon affiliateretailbrick and mortarwm-ecommerceplacedImprove Customer Experience One Location at a Timehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2012/04/01/improve-customer-experience-one-location-at-a-time.aspxSun, 01 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:19449Michael Garrity0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=19449http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2012/04/01/improve-customer-experience-one-location-at-a-time.aspx#comments<hr />
<p><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/images/blog/empathica.jpeg" style="float:left;margin:10px;" height="75" width="75" alt="" /><b>Working with
customers can be difficult, and no one knows this more than location managers who often
have to act as mediators between a company and its patrons.</b></p>
<p>That&#39;s why it is always
nice to have a little help, which is what makes customer experience management
(CEM) solutions so useful.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.empathica.com/"><b>Empathica</b></a> delivers solutions
to over 200 major brands. The company is looking to go a step further now with
the launch of Empathica Local, a new CEM product designed to help
location managers provide positive and consistent customer experiences at their
brick-and-mortar locations. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Empathica Local is built for brands that run multiple
locations, such as restaurants, grocery stores, banks and retail locations, to
help them find insights on what aspects of their operations can be changed to
improve customer experiences and provide actionable plans and best practices to
achieve that goal for each specific location.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moreover, the product is intentionally designed to provide a
simple interface that eliminates the need to drudge through multi-layered,
complex reports, allowing location managers to focus on the most important local
issues by defining what needs to be fixed and how that can be accomplished. It achieves
this end by leveraging patent-pending prescriptive reporting technologies to
set focus areas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Empathica Local was built to meet the day-to-day needs of
location managers and helps them by providing not only a user-friendly
interface, but also location-specific focus, editable action plans, social
sharing of best practices, status monitoring and performance insights. In the
end, the tool will not only provide insights and information but also
strategies crafted around a particular location&rsquo;s unique needs to help managers
improve their customers&rsquo; experiences and maintain that level of quality.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=19449" width="1" height="1">localbrick and mortarcustomer experiencecemempathicacustomer experience managementempathica localNew York Businesses Cozy Up to Foursquarehttp://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2010/07/22/new-york-businesses-cozy-up-to-foursquare.aspxFri, 23 Jul 2010 01:30:00 GMT1e469e21-c924-44fa-a132-47b5d0a8ad47:14463Mike Phillips0http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=14463http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2010/07/22/new-york-businesses-cozy-up-to-foursquare.aspx#comments<p>Add <i>New York</i> magazine to the growing list of businesses in The Big Apple who are taking advantage of Foursquare; joining <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>The Wall Street Journal </i>and <i>Time Out New York</i>.<br /><br />These publications have partnered with Foursquare to distribute news and editorial content to users when they &quot;check in&quot; using the social location sharing service. So, a user might check in at a local restaurant or pub then have the option to read any related editorial content from one of the partnering publications. It&#39;s another value-add to the rapidly-growing service.<br /><br />For New York-based businesses, this is a good reason to spend a little time optimizing your Foursquare account - including coupons, special offers or freebies for users who check in and &quot;mayors&quot; of the location.<br /><br />You can expect more of these types of partnerships in the weeks and months to come, far beyond New York. All businesses - particularly brick and mortar - should have Foursquare in mind. Read more about <a href="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2010/06/30/business-marketing-with-foursquare.aspx">marketing your business on Foursquare</a>, from the August 2010 issue of Website Magazine.</p>
<div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/aggbug.aspx?PostID=14463" width="1" height="1">marketingfoursquarethe wall street journalthe new york timesbrick and mortartime out new york